Pashinyan: No member of Republican Party of Armenia can become state's PM

21:02, 24.04.2018

YEREVAN.- No member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) can become the Prime Minister of the country, the leader of Civil Contract Party, MP Nikol Pashinyan stated at a press conference with foreign journalists on Tuesday.

According to him, ex-PM Serzh Sargsyan said that force, that gained 7% in the election can not win.

"Now Armenians joke that 7% is more than 93%. Our movement was supported by 90% of the population of Armenia, as well as support for the diaspora. The candidate of RPA won't be nominated for the prime minister's post. The era of RPA rule ended in Armenia. In Armenia the era of board of RPA has ended. Attempts to revive this force won't be crowned with success," Pashinyan said.

Asked about his nomination for the PM's post, Pashinyan said: "If the people put such responsibility on me, I will not refuse. I think it will be so. We must ensure free elections in Armenia. The political crisis began at the time when people totally stopped trusting elections. The first thing we need to do is reform the election code."

To the question whether there was any guarantee that the RPA will not head the government, he replied: "The RPA does not exist, only its ghost remains. I do not need any guarantees from the RPA. We have a stronger guarantee, a guarantee of the people and the Diaspora. I do not see any force that can resist the people of Armenia. "

YEREVAN (Sputnik) - The Armenian opposition will boycott the snap parliamentary elections and even block access to polling places in order to prevent the country’s acting prime minister, who represents the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), from staying in power, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday.

"They want the election to be held with the acting prime minister representing the RPA. We have known how these elections will turn out since 2017 … We can boycott these elections, only not passively, but by blocking access to the polling places and by preventing the RPA revival," Pashinyan said in his Facebook address.

Pashinyan also announced on social media that he had met on Wednesday with the EU diplomats based in Yerevan, and would soon hold talks with the Russian and US ambassadors.

The opposition intends to choose a "people's candidate" for the post of the country's prime minister at a rally later in the day.

"In the evening, at the rally that will begin at 19.00 [15.00 GMT], we will choose a people's candidate," Pashinyan told reporters during the march of protest.

After that, the candidacy will have to be supported by the parliament to observe all legal procedures, Pashinyan added.

He believes that if the parliament is dissolved, the prime minister and the interim government will still be appointed.

"Their main task is to prepare early elections," he said.

Pashinyan said that "no one forbids" the ruling Republican Party of Armenia headed by Serzh Sargsyan, who resigned from the post of Prime Minister after opposition rallies, to take part in the elections to the parliament if they are scheduled.

"No one forbids the Republican Party to participate in fair elections," Pashinyan told reporters.

Earlier in the day, acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan proposed a snap parliamentary election, following the voluntary resignation of his predecessor and ex-President Serzh Sargsyan, and failure of negotiations with the opposition on the transition of power.

Commenting on the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow was hoping that the current political situation in Armenia would be resolved solely by legal, constitutional means, and all political forces would show readiness for dialogue.

"We hope that the situation will develop exclusively in the legal, constitutional field, and all political forces will show responsibility and readiness for a constructive dialogue," the ministry said in a statement.

The protests against Sargsyan's premiership in Armenia started on April 13. Sargsyan, who served two five-year consecutive terms as president before being nominated as prime minister, was accused of trying to get around presidential term limits since the 2015 constitutional amendments transferred governing powers from the president to the head of the government.

Once they realized that the current government is losing ground, some parties are jumping the ship and joining the people in order to save their fortunes when in fact they were with them all along. Hypocrites!!!!!!

Reuters

April 25 2018

Armenian political party quits ruling coalition amid crisis

Reuters Staff

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia’s Dashnaktsutyun political party said on Wednesday it was formally leaving the governing coalition amid a political crisis and favoured early elections.

It announced its decision after police took up positions in the centre of the Armenian capital as tens of thousands of people protested against the ruling elite and the acting prime minister suggested new parliamentary elections to defuse the political crisis.

The government-loyal Dashnaktsutyun Party won 6.57 percent of the vote in an election last year and has seven of 105 seats in the country’s parliament.

“...We’re abandoning the ruling party and announce that the country’s parliament must choose a prime minister who has the people’s trust,” it said in a statement.

“The new prime minister must resolve the internal political crisis and in democratic conditions ensure early parliament elections.”

YEREVAN. – Prosperous Armenia party called on its party members to take to the streets and to stand by people, says the statement issued by Prosperous Armenia political council says.

“Given the fact that the Prosperous Armenia Party headed by leader Gagik Tsarukyan joins the wave of popular uprising and stands next to the people, we call on all our party members in all regions of the country and in Yerevan to mobilize and take to the streets, be close to the people. We have always been and will be close to our people and compatriots,” the statement reads.

Mass protest actions resumed in Yerevan on the appeal of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan on April 25.

Armenia's opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan led mass anti-government
protests that culminated in the resignation of newly appointed Prime
Minister Serzh Sarkisian and has declared he is ready to lead the
country.

A fortnight ago, few in Armenia would have believed that the
42-year-old could bring tens of thousands of people out onto the
streets of Yerevan and other cities, eventually forcing the veteran
leader to resign.

Before these protests, Pashinyan was mostly associated with the tragic
events following the 2008 presidential vote that first brought
Sarkisian to power, when 10 people died in clashes between police and
supporters of the defeated opposition candidate.

Authorities at the time accused Pashinyan of seeking to seize power
and provoking mass riots.

The father-of-three went into hiding but surrendered to the
authorities in 2009. He was released from jail in 2011 under a
prisoner amnesty and elected to parliament the next year.

- 'Creative and daring' -

Pashinyan was born in 1975 in the small resort town of Ijevan in
northern Armenia in the Soviet era.

He studied journalism at Yerevan State University but was expelled in
1995. He nevertheless worked as a reporter and chief editor before
getting involved in politics.

Pashinyan set up the Civil Contract party, which entered parliament in
2017 as part of the opposition coalition.

With his fiery rhetoric and penchant for asking awkward questions,
Pashinyan quickly became a thorn in the side of Sarkisian's ruling
Republican Party.

After being injured along with dozens of others at a protest last
week, the grey-bearded politician has since appeared at demonstrations
with a bandaged arm and a black eye.

"Pashinyan differs from the majority of opposition figures in that he
is daring, he's not afraid, he's creative, he's got a quick wit and
stamina," sociologist Gevorg Pogosyan said.

Before he urged protesters to take to the streets earlier this month,
he walked some 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Gyumri -- Armenia's
second city -- to the capital Yerevan with his supporters, often
sleeping out in the open.

His creativity was visible during a parliamentary election campaign
last year, when he went into courtyards and turned the roofs of
garages and benches into stages for his speeches.

These characteristics have made Pashinyan, who speaks fluent English
as well as Russian, appealing to young Armenians who grew up after the
collapse of the Soviet Union, observers say, although older
generations have also turned out to join his street protests.

- Personifying the opposition -

"People go to him because they are confident he's not going to make
secret deals with those in power, he won't betray the movement,"
Pogosyan told AFP.

Political analyst Aleksandr Iskandaryan said the opposition in the
country had been crushed and Pashinyan was its sole figurehead.

"He has managed to personify (this movement)," Iskandaryan told AFP.

"Today the opposition in Armenia is him."

Asked last week if he was afraid of getting arrested, Pashinyan said:
"In Armenia I feel comfortable everywhere, be it at home, on the
street or in prison."

After Sarkisian's resignation, Pashinyan said that no one would now be
able to take away the victory from people.

"You have won, the proud citizens of Armenia!" Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.

I wonder is he honest man , or he like dishonest person, I think time will tell, Armenia really needs people revolution to clean up the house and give young generation that chance , GOD BLESS our Armenian youth. They are the future leaders , heros , back bone of goverment. That is it , signing off.

Armenia’s Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan issued a statement over on cancellation of the meeting with the opposition leader, MP Nikol Pashinyan.

The statement notes:

“Dear citizens,

As you know, a meeting between Nikol Pashinyan and me was to be held tomorrow to discuss the situation and look for solutions.

I would like to inform that the pre-announced meeting will not take place as Nikol Pashinyan has unilaterally put forward new conditions, in particular with respect to the format, the agenda and covering of the meeting. He proposed a list of participants from our side, and also stated that he would discuss exclusively his agenda. This does not mean negotiation or dialogue, but presentation of own agenda and own point of view.

Having certain experience in negotiating, I’ve never heard of such a format.

Being concerned about the current situation, as the head of the executive power I appeal to the President of the Republic of Armenia to organize a meeting with a board range of parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political forces to discuss the current internal political situation and find possible ways out of it,” said Karapetyan.

Serzh Sargsyan was officially appointed as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia with extended powers only six days. The public pressure forced him to resign.

“Pressure grew. There was a growing number of people every day who were joining the movement, the actual movement was infecting everyone. The whole republic rejected Serzh, and in that case it was very difficult to resist,” said politologist Edgar Vardanyan.

According to him, during 11 days of the rally it became clear that Serzh Sargsyan had no support. “He did not even have confidence, support inside his party. On the other hand, the international community began to show a tough stance, seeingthat there is such a powerful protest.”

In his words, the Republican Party was de facto disorganized. “There will be no problem. Those, who are in the parliament, will act in accordance with the people’s will, they will move in accordance with the will of the velvet revolution. ”

Nikol Pashinyan constantly stressed that the Prime Minister should be the people’s candidate. According to Edgar Vardanyan, the people accepted Nikol Pashinyan, and that would be the pressure on the National Assembly.

According to the Constitution, within seven days after the government’s resignation, the factions of the National Assembly have the right to nominate candidates for the Prime Minister. The National Assembly elects the Prime Minister by a majority vote of the total number of deputies. In case the Prime Minister is not elected, the Prime Minister’s new election is held seven days after the voting. If the Prime Minister is not elected by a majority of the total number of deputies, a new election is held.

Serzh Sargsyan was officially appointed as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia with extended powers only six days. The public pressure forced him to resign.

“Pressure grew. There was a growing number of people every day who were joining the movement, the actual movement was infecting everyone. The whole republic rejected Serzh, and in that case it was very difficult to resist,” said politologist Edgar Vardanyan.

According to him, during 11 days of the rally it became clear that Serzh Sargsyan had no support. “He did not even have confidence, support inside his party. On the other hand, the international community began to show a tough stance, seeingthat there is such a powerful protest.”

In his words, the Republican Party was de facto disorganized. “There will be no problem. Those, who are in the parliament, will act in accordance with the people’s will, they will move in accordance with the will of the velvet revolution. ”

Nikol Pashinyan constantly stressed that the Prime Minister should be the people’s candidate. According to Edgar Vardanyan, the people accepted Nikol Pashinyan, and that would be the pressure on the National Assembly.

According to the Constitution, within seven days after the government’s resignation, the factions of the National Assembly have the right to nominate candidates for the Prime Minister. The National Assembly elects the Prime Minister by a majority vote of the total number of deputies. In case the Prime Minister is not elected, the Prime Minister’s new election is held seven days after the voting. If the Prime Minister is not elected by a majority of the total number of deputies, a new election is held.

I think the ruling party lost peoples confidence, they need to understand this and give up for new elections devoid of fraud meaning free elections without bribery. The people need to resist the temptation of selling their votes, the time has come to put Armenia first. No more lining of pockets and no more oligarchs. The people of Armenia found it's voice and power, specially the youth the time has come for honest politicians if not you will be turfed.

YEREVAN. – The leader of protest movement, MP Nikol Pashinyan urged all the residents of Armenia to come to Yerevan on May 1 at 10 am to flood the streets and squares of the capital, including the neighborhood of the National Assembly.

Answering the question about the decision of ARF and Prosperous Armenia Party to join movement and their position in the elections of the Prime Minister, Pashinyan noted that he hopes that both political forces will clarify their positions and, before May 1, they will inform how they are going to vote.

As to the cancellation of the negotiations scheduled for the morning of April 27 with the acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, Pashinyan expressed the opinion that the meeting did not take place because Karapetyan is not sure of his abilities as a negotiator.

“If he is not sure how he is going to negotiate over Karabakh,” Pashinyan said.

Commenting on the issue that he might not have enough mandates during the vote at the National Assembly, Nikol Pashinyan said: “I think our main mandate is the mandate of the people of Armenia and the Armenian people in the Diaspora. Thousands of people from Russia, Europe, America come and participate in demonstrations. They want such changes so that they could return, live and do business in Armenia. This is the main mandate, the parliament must bear in mind the will of the people.”

“I have already said that our movement has no geopolitical context. This is 100% true,” Pashinyan noted.

Asked to comment on acting Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian’s talks in Moscow, Pashinyan said he does not know what was discussed yesterday.

“They probably know that they do not have support in Armenia and they want to create an impression that there is support from outside. Probably, Karen Karapetyan wants to create such an impression.”

Asked whether Russia may change its position, Nikol Pashinyan assured that Russia will not intervene in Armenia’s internal affairs.

“I am sure, and the Russian authorities can also be sure that 90% of the Armenians in Russia support us. Rallies are held in several Russian cities in support of the movement. Thousands of Armenians came here to support us. Many of them are Russian citizens. I am sure that Russia will respect the position of its own citizens,” Pashinyan said.

people need to start the revolution from them self, from their own family.. then change the rest.. after all this same people sold their future for 20.000 drams over and over for 20 years.

I wonder is he honest man , or he like dishonest person, I think time will tell, Armenia really needs people revolution to clean up the house and give young generation that chance , GOD BLESS our Armenian youth. They are the future leaders , heros , back bone of goverment. That is it , signing off.

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia’s ruling party said on Saturday it would not put forward any candidate for prime minister to avoid stoking tensions after more than two weeks of street protests against the South Caucasus nation’s ruling elite.

Parliament is due to pick a prime minister on May 1 after the protests, fueled by anger over the ruling party’s behavior and official corruption, led on Monday to the resignation of Serzh Sarksyan as premier. Sarksyan had previously been president for a decade.

Eduard Sharmazanov, a spokesman for the ruling Republican Party, said on Saturday it would not put forward any candidate to become prime minister, but would vote as a bloc and unanimously after considering other candidates.

“By not putting forward a candidate, we will avoid confrontation and an increase in security risks ... we are not putting anyone forward in the state’s interest,” he told reporters.

Protest leader Nikol Pashinyan, who describes himself as “the people’s choice”, has said the only acceptable scenario for him and his supporters is for parliament to elect him as prime minister next week.

He then wants to snap parliamentary polls which would take place under a new election law.

Although the demonstrations have been peaceful, the upheaval has threatened to destabilize Armenia, an ally of Russia, in a volatile region riven by Armenia’s decades-long, low-level conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan.

The Republican Party holds a majority of seats in parliament, while Pashinyan does not currently have enough support in parliament to be elected prime minister.

The next parliamentary elections are not due until 2022. But if parliament twice fails to elect a new prime minister with majority support, early elections must be held.

The RIA news agency cited allies of Pashinyan as saying they would keep protesting and that the ruling party’s move was not enough because it did not back his candidacy.

Earlier on Saturday, Pashinyan called for more demonstrations.

“All protest actions, actions of civil disobedience, should be renewed with new force. The victory of the people must be recognized,” Pashinyan told a rally in the town of Ijevan.

“There can be no violence.”

Pashinyan called on supporters to organize big demonstrations in Yerevan, the capital, on May 1.

BREAKING: Armenia’s opposition close to taking power after ruling party withdraws from prime minister race

Nikol Pashinian

By bne IntelliNewsApril 28, 2018

The chances of Armenia’s Velvet Revolution ending peacefully increased dramatically on April 28 after the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) said it will not nominate Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan or any other candidate for the vacant post of prime minister ahead of a vote scheduled for an emergency session of parliament on May 1.

The ruling HHK controls 58 seats in the 105 seat parliament and is in a position to force through their choice of candidate as only 53 votes will be needed to appoint a new prime minister at the meeting.

However, MP and de facto leader of the opposition Nikol Pashinian has said explicitly that the HHK may not field a candidate and threatened to blockade parliament if the party attempted to nominate a candidate.

If the vote went ahead and a HHK candidate was appointed as interim prime minister, Pashinian promised to take the vote to the crowds on Republic Square and put the question to the people. That is outside the constitution and would probably provoke the government to use force to re-establish its control.

Ignoring the constitution could also provoke Russia to get involved. So far Russia has sat on the side lines and said the political crisis in Armenia is “a domestic affair.” However, Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned his Armenian counterpart at the end of last week and said the crisis should be resolved “within the constitution.”

While Pashinian is popular with the crowds, if the job goes to a vote he is not guaranteed to win. His Yelk party only has nine seats in parliament and he may face a challenge from 31-year old oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan and his Prosperous Armenia party (also know simply as Tsarukyan), which has 31 seats.

HHK will still play a key role as its votes will carry the day on May 1. The party may choose to support Tsarukyan if he is more willing to cut some sort of deal than Pashinian, who has refused to negotiate with the government.

HHK’s decision comes after Pashinian took his campaign on the road this weekend. He has been touring regional cities where he has been met with large crowds.

On Thursday April 26 the Armenian opposition said it had taken a strategic decision to launch a “second round of the revolution.”

"I’ve just rounded up a meeting with my allies and we took a strategic decision regarding a second round of the velvet revolution," Pashinian said. "The opposition movement should do everything in its power to enable the process to bring about a real change."

Prosperous Armenia party to support opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy

YEREVAN, April 28. /ARKA. The leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan that has the second-largest faction in the parliament, said today that his Tsarukyan faction will not nominate him as a candidate for the post of prime minister and will instead support the candidacy of the opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

' We will not give a single vote to the Republican Party,' Tsarukyan said in a televised interview with Kentron TV.

Earlier today the spokesman for the ruling Republican Party Eduard Sharmazanov said that his party will not nominate a candidate for the post of prime minister.

According to him, the decision was made during a meeting of representatives of the party's faction with the party chairman Serzh Sargsyan and first deputy chairman Karen Karapetyan.

"The political situation has changed. Armenia is in a political crisis. The interests of the state, and not of the party, are the priority. We need a strong Armenia," Sharmazanov said.

He explained the party's decision not to nominate its own candidate by the desire to avoid furtehr confrontaion and the division of the country into two camps.

The Republican Party has 58 seats in the National Assembly, the Tsarukyan faction controls 31 seats, the Yelk bloc of Pashinyan has 9 seats and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation has 7 seats. To be elected as prime minister a candidate needs to win 53 votes. -0-

YEREVAN. – There should be no monopolies in Armenia, the opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan told RBK.

His remark came in response to comment on economic initiatives that he will offer if he becomes Armenian PM before the early parliamentary elections.

According to him, 20 thousand food items are imported in Armenia by a very narrow circle of businessmen.

“Carrefour Group is one of the largest companies in sugar trade. But this company is forbidden to import sugar to Armenia. We need to allow them to do this as well as to allow other companies, and we will definitely do it. And we also intend to reform the trade system in order to destroy the shadow economy,” he said.

According to him, it is proposed to make a single bonus system in the Armenian payment system- in taxis, shops and services.

“Some percentage of annual purchases will be accumulated in your open bank account. The tax authorities will register these transactions and take a duty. We estimated that this would lead to almost a 30% increase in the budget in a year. This means raising wages, pensions, and so on,” he said.

Asked to comment on Armenian dependence on Russian business, particularly in gas, Pashinyan noted: “Russian gas is really quite cheap on the border. When it comes to people, the price grows twice. We will work to understand why this is happening, and I hope we will have some opportunities to reduce the price for the domestic market,” he concluded.

Opposition movement leader: Chapter of clan governance has been closed in Armenia (PHOTOS)

15:50, 28.04.2018

The chapter of brazenness and permissiveness for the privileged has been closed in Armenia.

Nikol Pashinyan, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member and National Assembly “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head, on Saturday stated the aforesaid at the rally in Ijevan town.

“The chapter of clan governance has been closed in Armenia,” Pashinyan noted, in particular. “Each and every citizen of the Republic of Armenia will have equal opportunity. (…). Everyone will be equal before the law. (…). This revolution has inspired mutual love and respect to the people.”

Also, he stressed that even though this velvet, nonviolent revolution has already triumphed in Armenia, another short period of time is required to de jure record this de facto victory.

“The [Armenian] authorities hoped that the society will be so delighted by Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation that it will forget why it has assembled,” Nikol Pashinyan added, in particular. “Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation is a necessary but an insufficient condition for completing this process.

“The meaning of the revolution is that, from now on, (…) power will belong only to the people.”

After 11-day nationwide protest actions by the Nikol Pashinyan-led movement, ex-President and ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) leader Serzh Sargsyan on Monday resigned from his recently-elected post of Prime Minister.

Subsequently, Pashinyan announced that they will continue negotiations with the incumbent authorities on Wednesday, and toward achieving a smooth transfer of power in Armenia. But it became clear on Tuesday evening that this talk would not take place.

Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, announced that they are resuming their protests as of Wednesday, since the RPA wants to retain power at the expense of Sargsyan’s resignation.

And on Thursday, Pashinyan invited Karapetyan to start the second round of negotiations on Friday, and before the media.

But Aram Araratyan, the spokesperson of Karen Karapetyan, on Friday issued a statement, according to which the acting PM considers “negotiations” with Nikol Pashinyan viewless, and therefore he refused to take part.

The National Party has ordered its party members to join the popular movement, the demand of the movement’s participants is fair, the parliament should elect Nikol Pashinyan on May 1.

The Republican Party must leave power with all its representatives. Form new government through new elections. Today, a group of fellow party members will take part in the Gyumri car race. Chairman of the Council Artak Harutyunyan said: “Our struggle is fair, go fo victory!”